Interim CEO?

tomlogan1

Elite member
Got an email from Flite Test signed as below:

Dave Messina
Interim CEO, Flite Test

Is there more to it than this? What is Josh Bilxer's position, if any?
 

JayMor

New member
Yeah, got that too. Josh is the President I thought (from the “documentary” video)… and from his LinkedIn profile. ;-)
 

AIRFORGE

Make It Fly!
Moderator
One of the FPVFC vids from Nov or Dec announced Dave as the ICEO of FT and FTCA. I can't remember which vid, though.
EDIT: Josh is still President.
 
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Piotrsko

Master member
Don't know if any of you have ever started a business. After a while it gets really hard to stay enthusiastic, worse if the business experiences adversity. New leadership fixes that, but only if the new leader is following the original philosophies and have the same specific goals.

Btdtmo
 

Flying Monkey fab

Elite member
I didn't get this. Is it generic enough to share? If not, totally understand.
Going with very little information this could be good or this could be bad. Time will tell. If there is some "restructuring" that would explain how quite things have been.
 

JayMor

New member
I don't see why not..


Flite Test is hiring!​
Flite Test has had a successful STEM program for a number of years using RC model airplanes to educate youth on the basics of aerodynamics. We are adding drone modules to our STEM education program, and we are ready to grow. We are assembling a team focused on curriculum development, product management and we need a sales professional to round out the team and take our business to the next level!


If you have experience in face-to-face business-to-business and one-to-many, business-to-customer sales, please send us your application!
RC and drone experience is a plus.​
Dave Messina
Interim CEO, Flite Test​
 

Piotrsko

Master member
Give @JayMor some slack. Just got there, needs to see how the current configuration is. Don't have his pedigree listed, but other posted story is interesting
 

JayMor

New member
Thanks for the clarification. That is what I thought; but got worried there for a second that I stepped somewhere I shouldn’t.
 

AIRFORGE

Make It Fly!
Moderator
For those that don't know him, there's a brief bit of info about Dave and his new position as CEO at FT/FTCA in this vid.

 

DaveM

CEO Flite Test
Don't know if any of you have ever started a business. After a while it gets really hard to stay enthusiastic, worse if the business experiences adversity. New leadership fixes that, but only if the new leader is following the original philosophies and have the same specific goals.

Btdtmo
This is sound advice! Josh and I have been working together for over two years. First, we worked on a FAA Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee Tasking on aviation-specific STEM. Then, with my background on sUAS regulation from working with the FAA and leading the FPV Freedom Coalition, Josh and I brainstormed that a light weight, robust designed and low cost remote ID broadcast module would be required because we knew the FAA would not approve FRIAs at all of today’s flying site. We teamed up with Tritium Electronics, an amazing Ohio company who created the hardware and software of the FT EZ ID based on what I had learned about remote ID.

I have over four decades of business experience at the corporate level in disciplines including development, marketing, sales, product management, services and mergers and acquisitions. I’ve also been on the board of a bank for 25 years so my financial skills are reasonably good.

josh Created the philosophy that is Flite Test. He cares deeply about people and relationships and the growth our country’s youth through relationships and the STEM foundations of aviation. I share his passion for our country, our kids and I have been designing, building and flying model airplanes since I was eight years old. Much of the reason I became a mechanical engineer started with my love of flight. I’m blessed with an amazing family including a precious gift of a grandson.

josh and I make a good team, Josh retains the strategy and vision role and I build on that by adding business strategies and running and changing the Flite Test business.

I welcome questions.
Dave Messina
 

Flying Monkey fab

Elite member
@DaveM
I just want to say I appreciate your forum presence, this makes two small business that I deal with that have this and it builds trust. I know you can’t let it eat up your time but stoping by once in a while can give you insight that you wouldn’t get otherwise.
 

DaveM

CEO Flite Test
What has the new guy @DaveM built and flown/crashed made of foamboard?

For me, that could be a harbringer of the future,
I’ll answer the question in a moment but Josh has primary vision and creative lead. We discuss and agree on the product roadmap. We are working to respond to the communit’s desires with constant focus on attracting newcomers to the hobby.

To answer the question of what have I built and crashed, I have been designing, building and crashing fixed wing airplanes for over four decades. Take a look at Park Jet International and on their site, look for NAMC jets. I had a very small part in designing these park jets. They have a speed envelope of from walking to just over 100 mph. I crashed a fair number of NAMC planes as we were developing them. My most memorable and comical was one afternoon I was flying a MiG and with the power it had I loved to do huge loops. The first loop was near perfect…I started the second loop and as I was trying to pull out at the bottom and level out, the plane flew straight into the ground. From the small pieces I was able to determine an elevon control rod had come loose. I now check control rods before flying!

I build planes mostly in the one to two meter wingspan Range. I have built a lot of balsa and covered planes. I have gotten rid of all my four stroke engines and have converted completely to electric. I lean to sport planes and have learned that I can fly fast planes after years of thinking I couldn’t.

Since 2016, I have also been into quad copters. I have a fleet that ranges from Jesse Perkins’ Tiny Whoop to slightly larger 65 mm and 75 mm quads with HDZero video. Then I have a number of 5” freestyle quads, two Five33 Tony Trainers (FPV Racers), an Alex Suarez Kwadz 5” FPV racer and other 7” quad copters. I’ve become a proponent of Express LRS and Edge Tx as well as HDZero. As far as crashing drones, that’s what we do. I don‘t crash a lot and to me that clearly means I have to push myself to fly faster and closer to the ground or objects I’m flying past.

Thanks for the question.